East Haven band teacher won’t be charged after allegations of verbal abuse

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East Haven band teacher won’t be charged after allegations of verbal abuse

EAST HAVEN–An issue with a teacher at an East Haven school is no longer being considered criminal in nature, police said.

Matt Laudano has been the East Haven High School co-op marching band’s director for five years, and has helped the band win the state championship. He is also the school’s music teacher.

However, on Monday a parent made a complaint to the East Haven Police Department that Laudano had been verbally abusive to her son and other students.

Some parents say this isn’t the first time.

“Laudano would take away water breaks at band camp in summertime, he wanted to discipline an asthmatic for sitting out the last 15 minutes of a five hour practice with one water break in July,” one parent said.

But on Monday, the complaints were taken to another level.

According to a source, some of the male band members called out the female band members for missing notes during a Saturday night competition. The girls started crying, and when the band director asked why they told him they were blamed for losing the competition.

The band director then is said to have called a meeting back at the school to determine who was responsible for “the blame game,” and called out and yelled at those responsible.

The parents of the kids allegedly determined to be responsible say the kids came out of that meeting crying, and when they told their parents, the adults are said to have then went directly to police instead of to the school.

East Have police looked into the matter, but determined it didn’t meet the criteria for an arrest.

The parent was sent back to deal with the matter with the school. The school board told police it would conduct its own investigation, and police would be willing to reopen the investigation if any other information is found during the school’s investigation.

Parents FOX 61 spoke with say they’re waiting patiently for the outcome of the administration’s investigation and, if need be, at least one parent says she will get police involved again.